A month to be thankful

November is a month to be thankful, and let’s face it – we have a lot to be thankful for in this country. We here at Great Fermentations are thankful for a great deal of things, but especially our fermentation hobbies, and the many people and things that make it possible. Here are some people and things in the world of homebrew/winemaking that we are thankful for this month (and all months to be honest). So, what are you thankful for?

Charlie Papazian for writing “The Complete Joy of Homewbrewing” (also known as the home brew bible), which has inspired so many home brewers throughout the country.

Louis Pasteur for his work on pasteurization, especially in the wine and beer industries.

The Auto Siphon. Perhaps the handiest gadget a brewer/winemaker can have.

For Gas/Propane Burners. Without them, our brew day would last a weekend.

Robert Parker for creating a rating system to tell us which wines to buy.

Fritz Maytag who bought the Anchor Brewing Company, and proved that craft brewers could survive and thrive in the US, and helped start the craft brewing revolution.

That guy Cornelius who gave us corny kegs.

For Potassium Metabisulfite, the compound that preserves and protects wine.

For PBW (I had written something in that blank space, but the PBW wiped it out. Gees!)

For Hydrometers so we don’t have exploding beer bottles and popping corks.

Wisconsin Senator John Blaine who sponsored the Blaine Act that initiated the repeal of the 18th Amendment (Prohibition). This repeal was formally adopted as the 21st Amendment to the constitution.

Øjvind Winge for his work isolating suitable brewers yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis) and then developing a simple machine for yeast propagation. This yeast is still the basis for lager yeasts today.

John Blichmann, the gadget guy that made brewing (and winemaking) much easier and of course flashier.